Those chorus girls in Mr. Kennedy's suite have an air of quiet dignity.

The building at 21 Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts, is a private residence today, but for decades it was an elite hotel. This 1905 ad promises elegant rooms at “$1.50 and up, excellent music and cuisine unexcelled.” The hotel had its brushes with fame through the years, including playing a role in John F. Kennedy’s 1946 congressional run, as he rented a two-room suite at the Bellevue to serve as his quarters during the election.

The prices had risen slightly a couple of decades after this ad, according to a 1920s Bellevue postcard I found on eBay. The inscription reads: “Hotel Bellevue. Aristocrat of Beacon Hill. Strategically situated opposite the State House and Overlooking the Common, the Bellevue has a restful atmosphere and an air of quiet dignity and charm not unlike that of a distinguished private residence or one of the better clubs. Single rooms with private bath from $3.00; for two people $4.50 and up.”

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